US - Canada border crossing throughout the immigration process example

[MapleLeafBride]

Hi All!

Throughout this process, I've seen many posts in this forum regarding American-Canadian couples worrying about visiting each other throughout the immigration process. As someone who is married to an American, I just wanted to share our experience as a way to potentially alleviate concerns any couples in similar situations have. We applied OUTLAND back in December.

My husband lives about 3 hours away from me on the American side of the border. He comes to visit me at minimum every other weekend at the Peace Bridge (Buffalo/Ft Erie). Sometimes he ends up coming 3 weekends in a row, depending on what plans we have. We have had this arrangement for almost 2 years at this point, throughout which we were dating, engaged for a year, and then married. He is always honest that he is visiting his wife. He has never been hassled and he has never been asked to provide paperwork. The border guards usually don't even ask him if he is planning on moving to Canada. The rare occasions he has been asked about our moving plans, they seem surprised that he is moving to Canada instead of me moving to the US. He tells them we've submitted our application (isn't asked to show any paper), and they wave him through. The few times I've been in the car with him, the guards actually question me (the Canadian) more than him.

The one time I thought we'd have an issue is when we crossed for our Canadian honeymoon in my car. I thought at the very least they'd be slightly suspicious of me bringing my new American husband across the border in my Canadian car. They didn't even bat an eye.

He has only asked to go inside once, and that was when he first moved to the area and had Florida plates on his car (he now has appropriate NYS plates). He had just moved up from Florida and had been visiting me for a month and crossed the border for an interview on the US side. When he came back, they wanted to make sure he wasn't planning on living in Canada and trying to commute for work (which was a ridiculous idea since I live 3 hours away, but whatever. We also weren't married at this point and had crossed twice in one day). The guard did stamp his passport at that point and gave him a month. He got the job before that month was up and has never had an issue since. He even came up the first weekend after he moved down. This was 2 years ago.

Anyway, the point of this post was to give those of you in a similar situation with fears about border crossings a real-life example of a couple who is living it and show you that while this entire process is stressful, this part doesn't have to be.

Good luck to all separated couples! What keeps me going is knowing that if we can make it through this, we can make it through everything!!

 

[Rob_TO]

Anyway, the point of this post was to give those of you in a similar situation with fears about border crossings a real-life example of a couple who is living it and show you that while this entire process is stressful, this part doesn't have to be.

Remember that each time you cross the border, it's a new situation. What happens depends on the particular border officer you happen to get. One can cross back and forth 100 times easily, but it could be on that 101st try the border officer is a hard ass or grumpy or having a bad day or whatever, and decides to make your life difficult.

So anyone doing this should keep positive and optimistic, but don't treat the crossings lightly and have a back-up plan in case things don't go smoothly 1 time.

 

[MapleLeafBride]

Remember that each time you cross the border, it's a new situation. What happens depends on the particular border officer you happen to get. One can cross back and forth 100 times easily, but it could be on that 101st try the border officer is a hard ass or grumpy or having a bad day or whatever, and decides to make your life difficult.

So anyone doing this should keep positive and optimistic, but don't treat the crossings lightly and have a back-up plan in case things don't go smoothly 1 time.

Sound advice, of course. Under no circumstances do we ever treat the crossings 'lightly'. We live this weekly (as I travel to the US almost as regularly). This post was simply to give people who are new to the situation a 'real-life' example of what has been our experience to date, as when we started, I did not know what to expect and did not know of any stories of people in a similar situations. Now I know it can be done and I wanted to share that. Confidence about the crossing has been our ally and if our experience can help even one person feel less nervous (which can be a red flag), I am happy to have helped.

Much like when I travel with my dog, I keep her paperwork in the glove compartment. It has never been asked for. Doesn't mean it won't happen. We all know the possibilities, even if it is only 1 in 101 crossings.

We are all trying to get through this experience while maintaining a glimpse of the end of the tunnel.

 

[swestenzweig]

I'm glad you and your spouse were able to see each other regularly without much difficulty at the border. I think what's helped you both the most, to be honest, is that you're only visiting on weekends. I don't think your visits were numerous enough or long enough to arouse suspicion at the border. From my experience, just visiting on the weekends usually doesn't raise too many eyebrows even if it is every weekend. I've only ever run into additional questioning when I've entered Canada more than once a week. As I was advised by CBSA that I need to spend more time in the US than I do in Canada or I would be considered residing illegally in Canada. I was also warned that each CBSA agent may calculate that 50% threshold differently, so it's best not to encroach upon that limit.

Even though my fiance and I are not yet married, I've been staying in Canada most weekends (she lives an hour away in Ontario and I live outside Buffalo). I cross at the NEXUS entry (which does help considerably), I travel with all supporting documentation (job, residence, proof of funds), and I make sure that if I do need to make a trip up during the week I return the same day. I've not run into any complications.

I've heard from CBSA that there are ways to "relax" the 50% time restriction once you are married and can prove that the PR is in-process, but I've not heard of anyone who has experience travelling back and forth more frequently (or even daily) as such.

 

[keesio]

Every other weekend is not very often. I went to school in Buffalo and some of my friends used to hop over the border almost every weekend to party because the drinking age is 19 in Ontario vs 21 in the USA. Also when they opened the new casino, they got a lot of Americans crossing the border on the weekends. Casino Niagara really marketed to Americans near the border ("near" being like a 4 hours drive lol) to come over on the weekends. So border officials were very used to Americans coming often on the weekends, mostly to Niagara Falls but Toronto was a common destination too.

But as Rob_TO mentioned, all it takes is one guard to have a bad day to give you a bad day. 99% of my border hops were very smooth but there was one time where they made me pull my car over to secondary inspection and searched every inch (and they had a sniffer dog too). I had no idea why.

 

[Mramajohn]

Hi I'm new here. I just want to ask since we have a similar situation. I am a US citizen and my husband is Canadian he applies for sponsorship and was approved dec 18, 2013 and they received my PR application same time. Do you know how long does it take to get approved or at least saying that the status is in process? Thank you so much.

 

[keesio]

Is the application inland or outland?

 

[NJ2Canada2013]

I want to thank you for this post! I've been crossing at the airport into Canada every other weekend for the past 2 years without major incidence. I have been pulled into 2nd security three times due to my frequent visits & at the time upcoming wedding. I am now married and am putting in my outland PR application in about a week! (as soon as my husband gets all his paperwork I've been asking for...men always are slacking lol.) Anyway, I am planning on driving up there end of April to stay for approximately 5 months before I come back to US for a week. I haven't heard that I needed to stay more in the US vs. Canada since as a US citizen we are allowed to stay in Canada for 6 months without a visa and have been asked numerous times by border agents why I haven't stayed longer with my husband since I'm allowed. I do hope with proper paper work that it will not be an issue once I do go up. I do get nervous about having one cranky agent who won't let me back into Canada since that is where the majority of my life will be! I have spoken to a person on here who's wife stayed with him for a full year while their outland PR was in process without difficulty once they explained it to the border agent. I plan on having all my paperwork since I'll be traveling up with my cats and fingers crossed!

 

[Mramajohn]

Hi keesio, it's Outland sponsorship.

 

[Lil_lulu86]

I plan on staying with my fiancée this next time crossing. I do not know what to tell the border. I do not want to be denied entry if I tell them I want to stay for 6 months. What is the best way to go about this. I am American visiting my Canadian fiancée.

 

[Zarilenth]

I plan on staying with my fiancée this next time crossing. I do not know what to tell the border. I do not want to be denied entry if I tell them I want to stay for 6 months. What is the best way to go about this. I am American visiting my Canadian fiancée.

Tell them you want to visit your fiancée and are planning on staying for 6 months if possible. You will probably want to have bank statements to show that you can support yourself while you're there, since you know you can't work. Also if you can buy a plane ticket to show you'll be leaving in 5-6 months. You may also want to get a letter from friends/family stating that you will be returning in 6 months. If you can get a job lined up (or a potential job offer) that would be good to show too.
Will you have a PR application in process?

When my husband (at that time boyfriend) first flew up to visit me he had no idea how immigration worked, really, and I didn't think about it either. He had no bank statements, no return ticket, and had never been outside of the states before. He got to immigration and they kept him for an hour. He ended up having to go to an ATM to pull out a bank statement, and told them he knew he couldn't work. They asked where I lived and he couldn't remember the address, lol. He told them he knew he could only stay for 6 months and was planning on leaving in 4. After a lot of grilling the officer finally let him through (which in retrospect I am very surprised about!) but told him he was never going to become a Canadian so don't even try..
So what I'm saying is just be prepared and have all your paperwork. They're lenient if you know what you're talking about and can prove you'll be leaving in 6 months.

 

[keesio]

Hi keesio, it's Outland sponsorship.

You can see my wife's full timeline under my user name to the left of this post. In summary, in took 1 month for sponsor approval and 6 months after that for my wife to get COPR.

 

[fumbler1983]

I am a US citizen currently staying with my spouse in Canada on a visitors visa. We are send of our inland PR application on Monday. When I received the I initial TRV at the border the officer told me I could travel to the US to grocery shop and stuff. We live five minutes from the border. On the visa it says does not authorize reentry. I have also read that once I leave Canada my visa expires. I would like to visit my friends if I could but I don't want to chance voiding my inland application. Does anyone know if I can safely?

 

[scylla]

I am a US citizen currently staying with my spouse in Canada on a visitors visa. We are send of our inland PR application on Monday. When I received the I initial TRV at the border the officer told me I could travel to the US to grocery shop and stuff. We live five minutes from the border. On the visa it says does not authorize reentry. I have also read that once I leave Canada my visa expires. I would like to visit my friends if I could but I don't want to chance voiding my inland application. Does anyone know if I can safely?

It's up to the immigration officer if you are allowed back into Canada or not. Since you hold a US passport, chances are you will be. But there's always some small chance you won't. You should keep travel outside of Canada to a minimum until you're approved for PR and have your landing interview. Definitely skip the grocery shopping trips to the US and anything of that sort since they create unnecessary risk.

 

[Rob_TO]

I am a US citizen currently staying with my spouse in Canada on a visitors visa. We are send of our inland PR application on Monday. When I received the I initial TRV at the border the officer told me I could travel to the US to grocery shop and stuff. We live five minutes from the border. On the visa it says does not authorize reentry. I have also read that once I leave Canada my visa expires. I would like to visit my friends if I could but I don't want to chance voiding my inland application. Does anyone know if I can safely?

If you want to travel back and forth to US during processing, then you should really apply outland. You will get PR much quicker with outland app through CPP-Ottawa office (probably around 10 months time total).

With an inland app if you are ever denied re-entry back to Canada for whatever reason, your inland app is cancelled.